Soviet Growth Predicted

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30795, 6 July 1965, Page 15

Soviet Growth Predicted

(N Z P A -Reuter—Copyright) WASHINGTON, July 5. The United States will continue to widen the absolute lead its economy has over that of Russia, according to a Congressional report published this weekend. The report also predicted Russia's economic growth,

over the next five years, would be no faster than that of France or Italy, and considerably less than that of Japan. The conclusions were contained in a staff report compiled for the joint Congressional Economic Committee called “Current Economic Indications for the U.S.S.R.” The report noted that while Russia’s gross national product was the second largest in the world, its per capita gross national product ranked only fifth. Ahead were the United

States, France, West Germany, and Britain. Just behind were Italy and Japan. It summarised the economic problems facing Russia this way: “In the second half of the decade of the 1960 s the Soviet leadership finds itself faced with proliferating demands on a tightened resources base. “Given reduced labour force increments and decreased efficiency of capital inputs, the regime cannot simultaneously upgrade living standards, maintain a rapid growth rate and match the United States in aerospace and nuclear developments.” Declining Birth-rate The report also noted the Russian birth-rate was declining as an unintended effect of the high proportion of married women working The birth-rate had declined 21 per cent since the early 1950’5, the report said. And the Soviet Government had become increasingly concerned about the heavy burden of housework borne by working wives and mothers. Household Burdens “Heavy household burdens, combined with the demands of a career, caused many professional women to have only one, or at most, two children,” it said. Another contributing factor was the relatively small number of women now reaching child-bearing age because of the low birth-rates during the Second World War. It forecast that Russia’s population, now around 229 million, would number between 245 and 261 million by 1975.